


Rainbows and Rainclouds

by orphan_account



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Assisted Suicide, Control, Depression, Disturbing Themes, Doki Doki Literature Club! Spoilers, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, I have granted kids to hell, Inspired by Doki Doki Literature Club!, Inspired by fangame (Doki Doki Rainclouds), Multi, Now everyone can be happy?, Other, Physical Abuse, Psychological Drama, Psychological Horror, Rehabilitation, Sayori knows everything, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, This isn't the typical "Doki Doki" fanfic hopefully., You are my sunshine my only sunshine...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-10-16 03:46:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17542082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sayori is forced to endure the torture of the world she lives in over and over again. She can't take it anymore... Then, something changes. An outsider looking in has plans for her, plans to help end her sadness for good. But, is that really possible? Is that all they're planning or is there more to it than that?This person is what Sayori registers as "the Modder" and, along with some new friends, comes to feel comfortable in the new world around her. No longer is she suffering the same old routine on her original game. Now, she is free. But, why was she put here in this "mod"? Who is the person orchestrating all of this?They tell her they can make her better. Just how will they go about that???:.ON HOLD.:





	1. Fighting a Losing Battle and Having Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayori can't take it anymore. She's losing her mind... Make the pain stop...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I’m back with another Sayori-centered fic (“Doki Doki Literature Club!” character). I actually came up with this recently while playing through the game again, and I really wanted to write it because, well, I can relate really easily to Sayori. Yeah, I know that sounds cliché or cheesy, but it’s the truth. 
> 
> Anyway, I happened to come up with something that I feel is interesting. I really want to play this mod called “Doki Doki Rainclouds”, but I can’t because I don’t have internet, so I can’t download it (I got the original game while at a neighbor’s apartment). So, I only have the original game to base my story for Sayori upon. I hope you all like it. I’m not sure how long this will be. It was going to be a short drabble, but I feel something like that would be lazy for something like this. Enjoy.
> 
>  
> 
> *Warning: This fic contains unsettling content that may be disturbing to some viewers. Reader discretion is advised.*

     Sayori always felt depression. It lingered above her head, like a rain cloud. Her rainbow of a personality always managed to fight through, but some days it wasn’t possible. She knew that Monika had been toying with her, but how could she fight it? Why was Monika always inside of her head? Why had she always been acting so strangely around her while pleasant around the others? Why?

 

     … It was because that was how this world was meant to be…

  
\--

  
     Sayori didn’t want to hang herself. She tried to fight it, but Monika… She kept telling her to do it, to get it over with. Sayori couldn’t resist temptation, though after she finally managed to do it, that’s when she suddenly felt the urge to live. But… it was too late. And now… here she was, floating in a blank space where no one could hear her. She was all alone. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She couldn’t do anything. She was just floating. Her eyes blank, body completely immobile on the outside, she looked like a porcelain doll with slightly outstretched limbs. However, on the inside, she was screaming and crying. She was pleading for the pain to stop, for someone to help her. She was frightened. She had no idea what was happening. At least, not until it was too late...

 

     Sayori could feel Monika’s threatening presence all around her. She was in control of things now, she was running the show. Sayori, her whole world… It was all a lie. Monika had told her that right before she pulled the trigger that would load up the inevitable end of Sayori. “Load”… a sickening word. It made Sayori’s virtual stomach flop. That one word… It’s what forced Sayori to realize what was happening to her. No wonder she always had the headaches when the world would suddenly shut down, only when it booted back up again she would forget all about it. But, Monika… she never did. She never forgot, and she told Sayori that during that awful time when Sayori was forced to tighten that noose around her neck.

     Sayori wanted things to go back to the way they were, before the cruelty that was reality had destroyed her. She wanted to go back to being that silly childhood friend of the main character, the person she came to know and love despite that being in her programming. She just wanted to go back to being innocent, blinded by the illusion.

_Please… Reset this world… Please… Just go back…_

 

     Sayori flinched as she felt an itch crawl up her back. Her chest began to ache. It was so tight. Her large eyes managed to look up above her, a thin white crack grasping her attention. The crack disappeared shortly after it had formed, Sayori’s dim glimmer of hope fading along with it.

      _It was a good try… to try and get me back…_ A single tear formed at her eye and slowly trekked its way down her cheek before falling off and disappearing in a tiny cloud of pixels. _I guess… I’ll just be stuck here a while… That’s okay, though… I don’t mind… Thanks for trying…_

 

\--

  
     Sayori was beyond excited when the darkness around her suddenly began to crumble, the numbness within her body tingling as she regained the ability to move. A bright, white light suddenly engulfed her vision, and she was back in the classroom. Monika was gone, but the others were present. Yuri, Natsuki, even the main character. She was so happy to be brought back, and she was even more grateful when she got to tell the player that she was glad they took the time to go through each and every available girl’s route just so they could spend time with them all.

     Deep in the back of Sayori’s mind, she recalled a figment of a memory, of a time when Monika had to put a stop to her because she’d tried to become like the latter only to fail due to Monika protecting them. Just a bit ago, she’d thought that she’d even heard Monika say that she didn’t want to come back, and that the player was supposedly “playing with her heart”. After that, she said nothing. Come to think of it… there were other strange experiences she’d had too. Somehow, like this time, she’d wound up as the president of the Literature Club, only it wasn’t this way. Monika had mysteriously disappeared, and Sayori had experienced so much pain, like someone was slowly inserting a screwdriver under each and every one of her nails, or like someone was peeling back her scalp at an agonizingly chill pace. There was also that time when she suddenly went to sleep, and when she woke up she was at home and hurrying to get out the door and meet with the main character to see if he was planning on joining a club…

     Sayori felt a chill run down her spine at that moment, though she hid it from the player and simply ran through the dialogue she was programmed to say. Once she was done and out of sight, she quickly retreated as Monika’s familiar song began to play. The classroom was still intact, though Natsuki, Yuri, and the main character had disappeared. Sayori looked all around for them, but they were nowhere to be found. Fear began to envelop her once more as she fell to her knees, the floor of the classroom collapsing beneath her. Instead of falling, however, she just sat there, hands clasped to her head as she cried for her world to return to her. She didn’t want to go back there yet again, back to that dark and frightening place. She wanted to stay in the clubroom, where she felt safe and secure with her friends.

     “Monika! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Sayori cried, but her words were drowned out by the melodic tune of her club leader’s words. “Monika!”

 

     Sayori whimpered weakly as Monika’s ballad echoed inside of her head, blaring through her ears so loudly she was sure they’d bleed. Sayori was terrified of the darkness. It was just… so scary. She hated this. She wanted it to stop. She didn’t like this… She felt so lonely, so much more than before. She told the player she was going to miss them, and that she was thankful of them for playing fully through the game. Though, they didn’t get to see what happened after that. They didn’t get to see the pain she would suffer unlike anyone else, and what of Monika? She’s the only other to realize that this world is a false reality. Sayori couldn’t remember what happened afterwards, because her memory always shattered. Yes… It was going to happen again, however long that took. Sometimes, it would last only a few days, sometimes a few weeks or months. It depended on the player’s mood as to whether they wanted to play again or not.

     Sayori begged for some sort of outlet to this, some way to escape the darkness. It was always the same. She would lose every time. The darkness would consume her like a big scary monster gobbling up its latest victim and then suddenly the world was back to what Sayori would see as “normal”. She wanted to go back to being that “ball of sunshine” that everyone knew and loved. She wanted to forget all of this already so that she could be “happy, but secretly sad again”. But, like what was said, it all depended on the player’s mood…

 

\--

  
     The cycle repeated. It made the player happy. Sayori did as she was programmed to do and went through the dialogue like it was nothing, her nonexistent mind reeling when again her shaking hands threw that noose over her and Monika’s voice taunted her into doing so. Memories immediately came flooding back to her, about a dark and scary place and the pain she suffered once she was—

 

I’M SORRY, BUT AN UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION HAS OCCURRED.

 

\--

  
     Sayori was fighting back tears as once again she thanked the player for playing through _Doki Doki_. Again, she was thrown back into the darkness as Monika’s piano drowned out her screams and pleas for mercy. And again, she waited an agonizingly long time…

  
\--

  
     “NO! NO! I WON’T DO IT THIS TIME!” Sayori shrieked as Monika fought to force her hands. “NO! I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS! STOP!” Tears were streaming down her face as her hands moved against her will and placed that dreaded rope around her neck.  
“C’mon, ‘Rope-chan’, just do it already. You always did like… hanging out, right?”  
“NO! PLEASE! MONIKA! I—”

 

     Sayori let out an abrupt wheeze as she suddenly fell from the chair she was standing upon. Her legs whipped up in front of her, her hands shooting up to tear at the rope now burning into her esophagus. The walls of her throat were closing in, her airways now blocked, oxygen prevented from coming in. Her bulging eyes rolled over her head, her tears raining down with the uncontrollable snot dripping from her nose and the saliva trickling down the corner of her mouth.

     Something warm and sticky coated her fingertips as she clawed at the rope. Her body swung left and right like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, her bare legs and feet kicking wildly at the air. Her vision dotted with lights, it became more and more difficult to see as the faint whining in her ears began to overpower Monika’s manipulative voice.

 

     Do it, she'd told Sayori. Just do it. It’ll be fine. Everyone can be happy this way. Just do it… Do it. Do it. Do it. DO IT! DO IT, SHE TOLD HER!

 

     Sayori’s arms dropped to her sides, her legs going still as her head drooped downward. Her raspy cries had fallen silent, Monika’s voice now gone along with the droning whine in her ears. She was forced to stay there, hanging there, with that rope tied around her neck. Some time had passed before the main character suddenly came into the room, and he had a horrified look on his face, just like before.

     Don’t look at me.

     “What… the hell? _What the hell!?”_

    _Please don’t look at me. Please… don’t… look at me._

     “Is… Is this a nightmare? This can’t be real… Just yesterday, I told Sayori that I’d be there for her…”

_Please stop… Just let me go… Stop using that husk to toy with my emotions. He doesn’t really care about me… He never did. I’m not real, he’s not real… Just stop… Please… Stop this… I can’t take it anymore… Please…_

 

     Sayori helplessly hung there as the main character ran through his dialogue. The MC… He’s not real, and he never was meant to be. He’s just a tool used to progress through the game. He doesn’t have a conscious, and he never will. Sayori wanted to try in the past, but she was never successful. His programming was somehow blocked from access. Not even Monika could get through the firewall. Perhaps the player could… not that they would. They were too busy playing around with the game’s script, torturing the characters within. She was so sick of it.

_You think this is funny, don’t you? You think that you have all this power because you’re the one who can easily delete and manipulate. You feel so much stronger than Monika, but that’s because she can’t get to you. You’re just a coward hiding outside of the screen, looking in while we all look out._

 

     Sayori gasped as the world suddenly grew dark, the rope fading from around her neck. Again, here she was, floating, in the dark space. And now, it was time to play yet another round of the waiting game…

 

\--

  
     Sayori was screaming and pounding her fists against the black wall before her, the credits rolling as the player was entertained by Monika’s catchy theme. Once the song reached the end, Sayori was thrashing her head left and right, an array of tears soaking her face as the darkness swallowed her up once more.

     “Please! Someone make it stop!” Sayori cried. “I can’t take it anymore! Please! I’m going crazy, going through this over and over again! I can’t do it! I can’t do it anymore! _MONIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”_

 

     No one heard Sayori’s cries for help. No one heard her pleas of despair as she curled into the fetal position and waited for the pain to stop. Sayori was going to linger here in this dark and empty space for a long, long time before… she’d find a way to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it for Chapter 1. :) I hope you liked it. I wanted to stay with the original line of script because I wanted to build up to something with it. That’s coming up in Chapter 2. Hopefully, this will be more unique than other “Doki Doki” fics out there. I don’t feel that Sayori gets enough attention, to be honest. All the other girls get loads of adoration, but what about little Sayori? Huh? ;w ;


	2. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayori is finally granted freedom, but... what is this place? And... who is that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :D

     Sayori waited for so long before finally, finally, the world began to reset. She took in a deep breath as the blinding white light engulfed her vision. She would forget all about this yet again, just like all of those times before, and she would repeat the same torturous cycle she’d already completed many times before. But… wait… Wait! What was happening!? Sayori… She’d felt something grab a hold of her. She was being dragged somewhere. What… Where was she going? Huh? What?

     “Kya!” Sayori shrieked as she was suddenly yanked back.

 

     Sayori’s eyes grew wide as she felt herself slip through the wall of darkness that was fading into the white light, the main theme of _Doki Doki Literature Club!_ faintly playing in the distance. However, the sound of one of many tunes she’d grown to disgust disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. 

     Sayori cried out again as she fell against something hard. She quickly shot up and rubbed at the back of her head while looking around. Wait… This wasn’t… She cautiously got to her feet, confusion scrawled across her face. What was this place? She’d never… She’d never seen this place before. She did recognize what it was, but it wasn’t the same as her typical surroundings. This place… It was a classroom, much like the one she was used to being in. But, it was different. 

     “… Hello?” Sayori called out. “Hello?”

 

     This classroom was so different from what she was used to. The walls were a gentle cream color, and the floor was a glossy wood. In the center of the room was a single desk and chair, while a trio of windows pouring with light littered the wall to the left. At the right was a door while at the front of the room was a large chalkboard. Sayori clutched at her chest in fear as she stood, her teeth grinding together as her knees quivered beneath her. This place… She didn’t where it was, but she wanted to go back to home. Where were her friends? Why was she here? She didn’t like it…

     Something caught Sayori’s eye as she turned to the chalkboard. Something… Something was forming on the chalkboard. Words… Words written in chalk were forming on the keyboard. They were written in a font that Sayori seemed to recognize. 

     “’Comic Sans’,” Sayori whispered as she slowly approached the chalkboard. 

     The words were forming letter by letter, as if an invisible barrier was sliding across the chalkboard to reveal the message. It said, “Hey, can you hear me?”

 

     Sayori didn’t how to respond. In fact, she was afraid to. What if it was Monika playing a cruel trick on her? She quickly looked down, her eyes landing upon the piece of sky blue chalk lying on the metal supporter of the chalkboard. She cautiously picked it up and inspected it. It looked to be normal, not like it was rigged or anything. 

     “It’s okay… It’s safe.” 

     Sayori’s brows rose as she read the next message on the chalkboard, the first having disappeared. 

     “Try to talk to me. See if it works.”

     Sayori was hesitant at first, but decided to humor whoever it was that wanted to talk to her. And so, she began to write below the message already there, which faded as she wrote out, “Yes, I can hear you. Who are you?” Her words were written in her signature font, which was the “Hashtag” font. 

     A few moments passed before there was a response. “Yes! Great! It works!”

     “Who are you?” Sayori asked aloud. She waited for a response, but there was none. Frowning, she wrote out the words she just spoke. 

     “I’m sorry… I haven’t added audio yet, so this is the only way for us to communicate. Right now, I am typing my words to you via a text box that I’d coded into this mod.”

     “Mod?” Sayori wrote. “What mod?”

     “You’ll see soon enough. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. Fortunately, you’re not intelligent enough to try and take over my computer, and I’m sure you never will be. I’ve coded you to be able to recognize that you’re living within a game as a fictional character, much like Monika, and that you recall being a part of your original game. However, I wanted to do something different for you. You happen to be my favorite out of all the characters, and so I wanted to do something with you. I haven’t incorporated your visuals from Doki Doki into this yet, and so all I’ve got on my end is a black window with text forming upon it.”

     “…” Sayori hesitated before responding with the chalk. “I see. Then, you can’t see me? Will I ever be able to see you?”

     “Eventually, I will be able to see you. However, you won’t be able to see me since I haven’t acquired that kind of skill just yet. Sayori… I hope that you like what I have in store for you. You won’t have to suffer anymore. I’ll make sure you’re happy from now on.”

     “What do you mean?” Sayori wrote before looking up. Just above the chalkboard was a white label. “… Rainbows and Rainclouds?” Sayori asked aloud. “What’s that?” She quickly wrote out her question.

     “It’s the title of this mod,” the stranger on the other end wrote.

     “Really? It’s pretty appropriate,” Sayori wrote back.

     “It is… Think of this as rehabilitation, Sayori. You are going to be freed from your depression, but it’s going to take time.”

     Sayori frowned as she thought about what to write next, but could think of nothing. 

     “Just give me a day, Sayori. Once I get your visuals in, I’ll be able to see you. Just wait patiently…”

…

…

…

     Sayori was pacing around the room. She looked up at the digital clock she’d spotted above the door. It read “7:30pm”. She first got here around three hours before. So then, what was going on out there? Who was it that had moved her character file around? Was she a copy or the original? She tried looking over her uniform in order to figure it out, but there was no sign. No nametag or anything. 

     Sighing, she looked toward the door. She tried to open the door a couple of times, but it wouldn’t budge. Perhaps there was no programming there. She wasn’t sure. She’d ask the person who brought her here, but they haven’t spoken up for a while. She figured that they must be busy with this… “mod”. 

     “Ah!” Sayori gasped as the room suddenly dimmed around her. She could now barely see, the light pouring in through the windows almost completely out. “What!? Hey!”

 

     Sayori suddenly dropped to her knees. She felt so… so sleepy. Oh… Why… Why was this happening? Her eyelids became heavier and heavier. She slowly fell onto her side, her vision fading into darkness…

…

…

…

     “… Huh?” Sayori sat up, a hand rubbing at her eye. She looked around to see that light had returned to the classroom. “Oh!” Sayori’s surroundings… The classroom looked… different somehow. The walls seemed to pop more, and the floor looked more realistic. “Oh… Ah!” She got up and ran over to one of the windows, the content outside catching her attention. There were… trees! “Wow! Oh!”

 

     Trees stood outside of the windows, along with actual grass, even a sun beaming down from the blue sky. Sayori blinked a few times in surprise. She still couldn’t believe it, and it al looked so real. The outside world of _Doki Doki_ looked real too, but this… She wasn’t sure how she could put her finger on it, but somehow the outdoors here looked really real, like actual three-dimensional objects.

     She looked down at the floor, her eyes widening as she realized that she looked more real too. At least, her legs did.  
She turned toward the chalkboard, a glimmer in her eye as words began forming on the chalkboard. She trotted over to it and read over what was written to her. The person, the “Modder” as she identified them as, told her that they had worked extremely hard on altering the world she currently resided in. She was now, along with the rest of the world, in 3D rather than 2D. Sayori had to think for a bit before understanding what they meant. _Doki Doki_ was a 2D visual novel game, but the world she was in was what appeared to be a 3D kind of game. 

     “Have a look in the mirror there,” the Modder wrote.

     Sayori questioningly cocked her head.

     “It’s in the closet, in the back.”

     “?” Sayori frowned at the statement before turning around. “Oh!”

 

     Sayori hurried across the room to the back where a tall wooden closet stood. She carefully placed a hand on one of the two handles and pulled it open. Inside of the closet were a few items consisting of a small stack of blank books, a sketchbook with a set of colored pencils, and a pair of scissors placed upon the small shelf in the center. Next to the shelf was a tall mirror. Sayori pulled out the mirror and set it next to the closet, against the wall. Afterwards, she took a few steps back. 

     She was very surprised at what she saw. She was still wearing her typical school uniform, but she looked way more real. She wasn’t… 2D anymore. She was a full-on 3D character. She did a little twirl, her realistic skirt flowing with her, her hair brushing gently against her face. She tried pulling at her cheeks with her hands, her tongue sticking out as she moved her eyes around. Everything appeared to be functional like before, only different in appearance. 

     “Hmm…”

 

     She wiggled her fingers, and then looked down at her feet. In _Doki Doki_ , the lower half of her legs weren’t visible when she was in her school uniform or when she was wearing casual clothes. Perhaps… She bent down and, curiously, slipped off her school shoe. To her surprise, she actually had a full foot (she’d once gotten curious and tried to take off her shoe, only to find part of it missing…). The only time she could recall having full feet was when she was…

     “I can’t believe it…” Hands shaking, she slowly pushed down her sock. “Ah!” Sayori’s eyes widened as she took in a small foot. She wiggled each of her five three-dimensional toes, a grin forming across her face.

 

     Sayori stood up and lifted her leg, her eyes twinkling with wonder as she admired her newly acquired foot. It was an odd thing to be joyous over, but it was pretty cool since she never actually had a full foot with her school uniform until now. She giggled as she curled in her small toes. This was amazing! Wait… She looked down at her other foot, it clothed by a sock and shoe. Could she… She quickly tore off her remaining sock and shoe. Wow! Another foot! Sayori experimentally jumped around, her giggles of excitement echoing throughout the empty classroom as she felt the cool of the floor against her skin. 

     This was incredible! She actually had two real feet, and the floor… It felt so smooth and cool. Not only that, but she felt more like a real person this way. This was something that she just had to share with the girls! Oh wait… Sayori stopped bouncing. The other girls… Sayori felt a familiar emotion, one she knew all too well. Her friends… They weren’t with her. Were they okay? Didn’t they need her in order to be happy? Oh no… She fell to her knees, hands clasping at her head. 

     “My friends… They aren’t happy unless I’m there to make them happy…” Sayori said. “But… Wait… If I am there… then they could be unhappy because I’m there…” She recalled how she wanted the MC, or rather, the player, to make new friends so that they wouldn’t have to deal with her and her troubles. Monika, in the past, had told her that. “I’m not needed… I’m not…” Sayori whispered. “I’m not needed… I’m not wanted…” Tears were forming at her eyes as she hunched over, forehead pressing to the floor.

 

     Sayori wanted to go back home to her friends, to where she was most familiar. Her memories hadn’t been wiped when she was moved over here. This place… this… “mod” she was now a part of… It must be like a game, but what did “mod” mean? She was here, and she was from another game. Maybe it was some kind of… what did they call it… crossover? She was slightly knowledgeable of what a crossover was. Yuri had told her about it. Hm... Wouldn’t there be more characters, though? And, what about what the Modder said? They said this was supposed to be some kind of rehabilitation thing or something. So then, what was this?

     Sayori gave a questioning look as she looked toward the chalkboard. The title written above it… _Rainbows and Rainclouds_ … Hmm… This was clearly about Sayori, so in a way it’s still _Doki Doki Literature Club!_ So then… maybe this was like a “modified” version of the original game? A modified version of _Doki Doki_ … Mod… That made sense. This game, or mod of the original, was about Sayori. Based on the title, the person making it is trying to come up with a story about Sayori trying to cure her depression. However, the game is only in its early stages. So, then… how long would it take to finish? Would it be finished?

     Sayori felt that frightening chill snaking down her spine. What if the Modder got frustrated and wound up scrapping the project? If she got deleted… she’d be back in that dreadful, dark space. It was always so painful when she got sent there. She didn’t want to go back there again… Oh, wait… She wasn’t in _Doki Doki Literature Club!_ anymore. So, if she got deleted here, then… she’d possible be gone for good! 

     “No!” Sayori clapped her hands to her face. “No! No no no no no no no!” She whipped her head around as she clawed at her hair in a frenzied panic. “Oh god, nonononononononononononono!!!!!!”

 

     She didn’t want to be deleted! She wanted to live, even if she was permanently trapped within a virtual, nonexistent reality! She didn’t want to die! She might not have anything to live for (she wasn’t real in the first place), but she still wanted to live nonetheless.     

     Sayori hurriedly crawled backwards, into the wall behind her. Shivering uncontrollably with fear, she looked toward the chalkboard to see if the person had spoken up again. Nothing… She whimpered weakly as she pressed her forehead down into her knees. She felt so powerless… With the simple click of a button, someone else could end her life, just like that. She knew that Monika didn’t have the heart to do that, to truly delete her for good, but this person might. There had to be a way for her to get out of here, some way for her to get back to her home. 

     “Hmmmmm…” Sayori looked toward the door of the classroom. Maybe… just maybe… Sayori got up and went to retrieve her socks and shoes. “I don’t know if it’ll work… but I’ll try it…”

 

     Once Sayori had her socks and shoes back on, she ran over to the classroom door and put her hand around the doorknob. It was a solid, so it must be implemented. However, as she pulled on the doorknob, the door didn’t budge. Confused, she put her hand on it. To her horror, her hand went right through the door. She winced and backed away as the door flickered. 

     “… Shoot…” Sayori said. She turned around. Maybe she could go out through the window. Hurrying over, she attempted to do so. “Ngh! Ergh!” Sayori tried and tried to lift the windows, but to no avail. “Gah!” She went to pound her fist against the glass, only for her hand to phase through. “Ugh!” Sayori crossed her arms, her lip puckered out in frustration. 

     “Is something wrong? Do you not like it here? It’s supposed to be a safe place for you.”

     Sayori whirled around in surprise. “Hello!? Who’s there!?”

     “You look upset. Are you alright?”

     “Huh?” Sayori’s eyes widened. “Who… Who are you?”

     Standing a ways from her was a small girl who was wearing a different school uniform than Sayori. “It’s okay, you’ll come to like this place a lot. Hehe… Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. Call me Yukie, Yukie Hana! It’s nice to meet you, Sayori.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Implementing an OC I created because I feel she’s perfect for this. :) 
> 
>  
> 
> Moving on from that, I had no clue where I was going with this. Originally, the Modder was going to toy with Sayori and demonstrate dominance, but I scrapped that idea… :/ Didn’t seem right. I don’t know, maybe I’ll revisit that later on. After sleeping on this and scrapping the original concept of the Modder, I decided to go a totally different route, which you will see unfold as the story progresses. This is already a difficult write, and I’ve only just started. 
> 
> I really hope to deliver on this because I know that lots of “DDLC” fics are very similar to each other (one or more characters realize they’re in a game, or that they’re dealing with drama and/or romance). I haven’t looked into many, but I came across some that were pretty much the same. I want to stay within the “aware of the game” theme, but I want to put a different spin on it, and with my favorite character of the game (before one of you get the idea, no I’m not the Modder… I know that at least one person is probably thinking that I inserted myself into the story, or will later… No. I didn’t do that). 
> 
> I’m not obsessed with the game like others are, but I really adore Sayori. I also enjoy writing, so sometimes I’ll look to the game for inspiration. It actually helps, too. ^^ Well, anyway, I’m off to get Chapter 3 out.


	3. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayori meets some new people...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to get this up on Saturday, but I ran into problems. Dx So, here it is today! :D
> 
> Please enjoy. The other two planned chapters for upload will come tomorrow.

     “So… How are you?” 

     “Uh…” Sayori hesitated on a response. 

     “Hmm? What’s the matter?”

     “I… I, uh, um…”

     “It’s okay… You don’t have to be afraid. I won’t hurt you, and neither will the Modder.”

     “You… You know about that?”

     “Of course I do. They’re really nice. They gave me a cutesy appearance, too!”

 

     Sayori watched as the girl gave a twirl. She was small like Natsuki, maybe even smaller since she stood at just below Sayori’s shoulder while Natsuki stood right at it. This girl had an unnatural hair color like Natsuki as well, and it also stopped at just below her shoulders. However, this girl’s hair was a gentle icy blue, and she had a small baby blue bow pinned to the back of her head. 

     This girl was wearing a different uniform from Sayori. It was a baggy white collared sweater with a dark blue choker and a light blue loosely-tied necktie around her neck. Paired with her adorable top was a blue skirt, along with white knee-high socks covering her thin legs and dark blue high-top sneakers clothing her tiny feet. 

     “Yukie… Hana… That’s your name?” Sayori asked.

     “Uh-huh! That’s right,” the girl said happily. She raised her small hands up to her face, her sleeves pulled up to her knuckles. “I’m so happy you’re finally here.” Yukie’s big blue eyes twinkled as she rocked on her heels, her hands slipping behind her. 

     “I… Um…” Sayori nervously took a step back as Yukie suddenly leaned in extremely close to her. “Um… Could you… not stand so close to me?” 

     “Oh, I’m sorry…” Yukie backed away, a blush forming on her face. “I… I’m so sorry, Sayori. It’s just… It’s been some time since I arrived, and the Modder had told me all about you. They said you were really nice, and that I’ve been instructed to help you!” Yukie beamed at Sayori. “So… how are you? Are you well? Do you need to talk to someone?”

     “I… I don’t know… I need some time to think.” Sayori turned around and walked toward the windows. “I’ve… I’ve never…”

     “Sayori… What was it like in your other game? Was it nice? I heard it was a little scary, but way cool!”

     Sayori frowned. “It was… alright… I mean, I had some good friends there… but… things happened…”

     “Yeah, they kept repeating themselves! You were always programmed to hang yourself. Monika supposedly takes over the game, though that’s what she’s programmed to do!”

     Sayori whirled around to face Yukie. “Excuse me?”

     “Yeah, Monika and all your friends… Even she was programmed to do stuff. She’s not real, the same as you.”

     Sayori shook her head. “That’s… impossible… Monika… She was in control… of everything…”

     “Nope… Someone made her do it.”

     Sayori put a hand to her head. “I… I can’t…”

     “Yukie…”

     Sayori jolted at the sound of another voice. It was low and quiet. Could it… Could it… maybe… “Yuri?” 

     “Huh?” The door to the classroom had been opened, a head peeking around the corner. “Um… I’m sorry… I’m not… My name isn’t Yuri… It’s…”

     “Oh! Hey, it’s Ai-chan!” Yukie ran over to the girl now stepping fully into view. “Sayori! This is Aika Ahmya, or Ai-chan for short. She’s really quiet, much like your friend Yuri.”

 

     Sayori stared at the girl in surprise. She looked so much like her… This girl was wearing the same uniform as Yukie Hana, though instead of blue her choker, tie and skirt were black. Unlike Yukie, she wore black leggings and white flats. Something else that made her stand out was her really long ebony hair with bangs that were all pulled to the left side of her face. They draped just over part of her left eye.

     Her eyes… They were slightly smaller than Yukie’s, and they were an enticing porcelain color with faint shadows curving beneath each. Her skin was very pale, almost giving her the appearance of a ghost. Comparing her size with Yukie, she was about Yukie’s height, making both of them shorter than Sayori.

     “Who is this?” Aika asked quietly as she fiddled with the ends of her long bangs.

     “This is Sayori, Aika. She’s new here. She’s the girl that the Modder wanted us to assist.” Yukie smiled at Sayori. “We need to make her feel welcome.”

     “I see… Okay…”

     “Wait a minute,” Sayori said. “What… Uh…” She paused as two more people came into the room. 

     “Yukie? Ai-chan?” Another girl came into the room, this one taller than the other two. “Oh… Ah! She’s here!”

     Sayori’s eyes widened as the third girl came bounding over. 

     “Hi! You must be Sayori. It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Kioko Haru.” She held a hand out to Sayori. “Welcome to your new home.”

 

     Sayori looked over this girl. Blonde hair tied in a braid that hung over her right shoulder, messy bangs, green eyes, fair skin… Same uniform like the others, her signature color being silver instead of blue or black… She wore white ankle-high socks with grey low-top sneakers. 

     “Sayori?” The girl was looking at her curiously.

     Sayori hesitantly took the girl by the hand and shook it. “Hi… It’s nice to meet you, too…”

     “Good!” Kioko smiled warmly. “I’m glad. I hope that we can be friends. Hmm… Now, where is Ryou?”

     “Here I am…”

     Sayori felt her face grow hot as a boy came into the room. 

     “Hi… You must be Sayori. I’m Ryou, Ryou Kenshin.”

 

     This boy was taller than everyone else, Sayori staring up at him as he came over with a warm smile on his face. He had short brown hair, like the MC from _Doki Doki_ , though with grey eyes rather than brown. His uniform was the same as the girls, though the skirt had been switched out with pants. He tapped the toe of one of his black shoes as he put one hand behind his back, his other tugging at the red choker around his neck. 

     “So… Um…” He looked down at her. “How are you?”

     “I’m… good… You?” Sayori’s hands clasped together at her front. She couldn’t stop staring into his eyes. Those… beautiful… grey eyes…

     The boy, Ryou, gave a soft chuckle. “You’re very quiet. The Modder said that usually you’re very bouncy and full of spirit.”

     “I… I’m sorry!” Sayori quickly bowed before him. “I’m… I’m just nervous… Sorry!”

     “No, it’s okay. Hey…” 

     Sayori’s digital nerves began to tingle as Ryou cupped a hand around her face. She looked up, a hot blush across her face.

    “Wow… Your eyes are so pretty,” Ryou whispered. “I’ve never seen such eyes like yours…”

     “Th… Thank you…” Sayori breathed. 

     “Isn’t she a beauty?” Yukie asked. “Just like Ai-chan~” 

     “Ngh…” Aika squirmed in Yukie’s arms as the latter hugged her tightly. 

     “Aaaaaaaaah~” Yukie had a dreamy look on her face as she rubbed her cheek against Aika’s. 

     “So, Sayori…” Kioko clapped her hands together as she peeked around Ryou. “How’s about we get you settled? The Modder’s been working on stuff. They should be updating things now…”

 

     Sayori gasped balls of light suddenly appeared around the room. Pixels flashed everywhere, and then sparkles as the balls of light faded. Four more desks had appeared, all forming a circle with the one already present. Sayori took notice of what had been set atop the original desk, as well as what was placed next to it. She cautiously approached the desk and placed her hands upon the clothing upon it. Her fingers traced over the pink choker. This was for her, wasn’t it? 

     Sayori leaned down to investigate the schoolbag gifted to her. It looked like the others, just a simple navy blue bag with a couple pockets and a zipper that opened up to reveal contents inside, including a journal and a pack of pencils. She pulled out the blank book that caught her eye, her hands stroking over the smooth black cover. 

     “What’s this?” Sayori asked.

     “Oh, that comes later,” Kioko said. “Right now, you need to change.”

     “I can’t…” Sayori stood up to face her new companions. “For starters, I have nowhere to go.”

     Aika silently approached the classroom door and opened it. “Here… Down the hall to the left…”

     Sayori frowned at her as Kioko came over and picked up the clothing. 

     “Take this and change in the restroom down the hallway,” Kioko instructed. “Afterwards, come back here.”

 

     Sayori set the book down and took the clothing from Kioko before proceeding out the door. To her shock, she was now standing in a traditional school hallway. Lights lined the ceiling, providing her with illumination to see with as she walked down toward the lone door at the left. She cautiously pushed open the door, her shoulders tense as she examined the layout of the restroom before her. There were four stalls, perhaps one for each girl. But, what about Ryou? Hmm… 

     Sayori looked over her new set of clothing before beginning to change. The sweater was surprisingly comfortable, the fabric nice and soft. The skirt fit her perfectly as well, the choker not too tight around her neck. She looked around for socks and shoes, but saw that none were gifted to her. Perhaps she could just throw on her old ones… Huh? Oh no! Sayori looked around on the floor, but to her horror both her socks and shoes were gone. Ugh… great.

     Sayori shyly tugged at the hem of her sweater as she made her way back to the classroom. As she walked in, she mumbled, “Um… I can’t seem to find… Ah…” Sayori fell silent as Ryou approached her with something. “Oh…”

     Ryou knelt down before her. “Cinderella can’t be complete without pretty footwear,” he teased. 

     Sayori stared down at him with wide eyes as he carefully slipped each comfortable knee-high sock on, his hands caressing the bottoms of her feet as if he was trying to treat her as gently as possible. 

     “They picked out some nice shoes for you, I promise,” he said as he positioned her right foot to slide into the small pink sneaker.

     “They went with something casual for you.”

     “Ah… I see…” Sayori mumbled. 

     “There we go… Now we just got to tie it… and then the other…”

 

     Sayori stood still as a statue until Ryou was done. She followed him with her gaze as he stood up, his hands slowly reaching for hers. His fingers gently kneaded into her palms as he asked her how she felt. Sayori smiled as she stated that she was okay, much to Ryou’s delight. He then brushed a hand along the side of Sayori’s head, Sayori’s heart pounding vigorously in response. 

     “You’re… so pretty…” Ryou whispered.

     “Really… you are…”

     “I see… But, what about the others?” Sayori whispered back. She looked around Ryou to see that the other girls were chatting idly amongst themselves.

     “Yukie… She’s like a sister to me, and Aika is just a friend, same as Kioko. But, you… you’re… different… I have no control over my emotions… The Modder… The Modder’s programmed me to… I think… fall for you… and quite hard at that…”

     “Ryou…”

     “Oh, the Modder is speaking to us! Look!” Kioko pointed toward the chalkboard. 

     “I see that everyone’s gotten comfortable. :)” the Modder wrote. “I’m glad. Now… Now is the time for you all to help make Sayori feel at home. We can help her feel better… We can help cure her depression, yes?”

     “Of course!” Kioko said.

     “Yes,” Aika mumbled.

     “Oki~” Yukie cooed.

     “Definitely,” Ryou stated. 

 

     Sayori looked at each and every one of her acquaintances. These people must be her new “friends”. They all reminded her of her old friends in some way or another, so that gave her some comfort. There was something odd, though. They were the only other people here from the looks of it, and they knew that this was all a game and not real. On top of that, their purpose was to make her feel better… There had to be a catch here, something… The Modder could’ve just altered her file entirely to make her forget her sadness. Why didn’t they do that? Mmm… Maybe this was a mod that they were going to give out to people. Maybe this was all part of a scripted story or something… Hah… Sayori would figure that out later. Right now, she was being told by Kioko that she and the others had planned a little get-together, and that Sayori was the guest of honor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sayori has been gifted new friends. That’s awesome! But, she does miss her old friends… :(c What exactly is this Modder person up to anyway? They could’ve just made her sadness “go away”, but instead they’re letting it stay and having these digital creations do the work. Hmm…
> 
> I will get the other two chapters out tomorrow. I was going to upload everything on Saturday, but I ran into technical difficulties. As for the other two chapters, I need to fix them up. They’re okay, but could be better. :/


	4. The Cold Hard Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayori is told something that she never thought to be true... She's not the only one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Here is Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 will come with it because not much happens. :D I honestly don’t really know where I’m even going with this. I mean, I’ve kind of got it figured out… but not totally. *shrugs*
> 
> So sorry this took so long!

     Kioko was able to explain many things to Sayori that had been on her mind. She and the others were created long before Sayori was brought into the mod. She was actually the first, and that she was the leader in all of this. Sayori did get that “Monika” vibe from her, particularly because of her green eyes. She also appeared to be the prettiest. As for the other girls, Yukie reminded Sayori of herself, while Aika was more like Yuri. When it came to Ryou, he was… well… perhaps he was like the MC. So, what about Natsuki? Sayori shrugged at that. Poor Natsuki… 

     “The Modder created our profiles and then put us into the game to test us. They were able to successfully communicate with us. You could say that we’re ‘artificial intelligences’ since we can talk back to them like actual people. We are aware that we are merely programmed to be a part of something bigger… but it’s okay.” Kioko smiled at Sayori as she sipped from the teacup Aika had prepared for her. Yep… exactly like Yuri.

     “So… what about my friends?” Sayori asked. “Are they…?”

     “Oh, your friends? Yeah, they’re probably gone. You are… I know that. The Modder deliberately moved you from your game.”

     Sayori’s eyes widened in horror. “What!?”

     “Yep… You’re no longer a part of _Doki Doki Literature Club!_ You are now with us.”

     Sayori thought that she’d crumble to the floor right there. No longer… a part… of…

     “It’s okay… Don’t worry about it so much. You’ll like it here.” Kioko reached over to pat Sayori’s hand. “You’re one of us now.”

     “… I… I need some time to think.”

 

     Sayori got up from her desk and ran over to the classroom door. She threw it open and fled down the hallway, hoping and praying that there was a door that led outside. To her relief, there was a door at the end of the hallway. She slid to a halt before it. What… What if it led to only darkness? The black void where no programming was set? Well… She’d try anyway. 

     “Ah!” Sayori cried out as she stumbled out. Her foot landed on something firm… “Oh.” Hope bubbled up inside of her as she realized that she was now “outside” of the school.

 

     The background before her was simple. There was a clearing with beautiful emerald grass, some trees placed around in the clearing with others in the distance. The sky was a bright blue, the sun overhead beaming down upon the scenery. Sayori briskly walked over to the tree nearest her and plopped down with her back against it. 

     “Hey… Are you okay?” 

     Sayori looked up to see Yukie approaching. “Oh… hi Yukie…”

     The grass softly crunched beneath Yukie’s feet as she did a little twirl. “Sayori, isn’t this cool? The grass has sound effects!” Yukie danced around upon the realistically-rendered floor. “It’s way cool~”

     “Yeah…”

     “Aw, thought that would’ve cheered you up a bit. Guess not, huh?” Yukie dropped to the ground. “Ah well… What’s wrong?”

     “I… Well…” Sayori looked back down. “Kioko told me that… I was no longer a part… of the Literature Club… My file was permanently moved.”

     “Yeah… it was.”

     “Don’t they have a copy of it at least?”

     “No… They deleted the game entirely from their computer. Don’t worry, though. There are other copies of the game out there.”

     “Ah… W-What?”

     “Yeah. What, you didn’t know?”

     “I…” Sayori gave her a confused look.

     “Silly. You are one of the millions of Sayoris out there!” Yukie spread her arms out. “Yep! Copies of you to spare!”

     Sayori’s expression turned to one of sheer horror. “That… That can’t be…”

     “That’s right, lots of Sayori.chrs to spare, and we got you.” Yukie lightly poked her nose as she spoke the last word.

     “… No…” Sayori shook her head. “NO! Nonononono!” 

     “Sayori?” 

     “Stop it!”

 

     Sayori began to hyperventilate as she clasped her hands to her head. Yukie asked her if she was okay, to which Sayori screamed. Yukie then stood up and ran off calling for someone, leaving Sayori to fall over onto her side crying. This… This didn’t make ANY sort of sense to her. How could there be more of her out there? Was her life really all just a lie, then? Obviously, it already was because it wasn’t real. But… somehow this new dish of information made it feel… more painful.

     “Sayori?”

     “Go away! Leave me alone! Please…”

     “Sayori…” A gentle hand placed itself upon Sayori’s head. “Hey… It’s okay…”

     Sayori whimpered as her hands covered her face.

     “It’s alright… No need to be afraid…” 

     “My friends… are gone… They weren’t even… my real friends… in the first place… were they?”

     “Hey…”

     “I can’t…”

     “Sayori… Look at me…”

     Sayori slowly sat up, tears streaming from her eyes. 

     Ryou smiled sympathetically. “It’s okay… Your friends… They are still your friends…”

     “No they’re not…” Sayori said. “They’re… They’re… just… I thought that we were all unique and kept together… and… come to find out there are clones out there… I don’t… I don’t understand… why…” Why was she feeling so sad about this? Why was it so painful?

     “It’s because you’ve grown close to them… Your programming… has evolved… You’re now experiencing real emotions because the Modder granted that to you… It’s scary, I know… But, you’ll get used to it. It’ll be okay.”

     Sayori sniffled as Ryou cupped a hand around her face.

     “Just relax, Sayori…”

     “My friends are gone… I don’t… I don’t… feel like myself anymore…”

     “C’mere.” Ryou wrapped his arms around her. “I know you’re scared… but you’ll be alright. I promise you will… The Modder is trying to give you a purpose…”

     “What do you mean?”

     Ryou chuckled. “You’ll see…” 

     Sayori trembled as Ryou tightened his grip around her. 

     “Just calm down… breathe.”

     Sayori did as she was told. 

     “There now… Better?”

     Sayori nodded. She did feel a little better…

     “Alright.” Ryou pulled away from her. “I’m going to head back inside now. When you’re ready, come join me and the other girls. The Modder prefers us to be inside together when they shut down the program.”

     “What? Shutdown?”

     “Yes. When things begin to go dark and we get tired, it’s because the program is being shut down. Don’t worry, it’s painless. You won’t feel a thing. You’ll just go to sleep.”

     “Oh… Uh… Okay… I guess…”

 

     Ryou left Sayori to sit there and regain her thoughts while he and Yukie went back inside the school. She’d never been aware of such things before… The fact that she was actually a copy of many others versions of her… There wasn’t just one… She was everywhere, and so were her friends. That meant… that she and her friends… They really, truly, weren’t real. Monika… She wasn’t really a threat… She was just programmed to go through all that stuff. So… in a way, she didn’t actually hurt Sayori. It was the person who created them… that did it… Why would they do it? Sayori never did anything wrong to them…

     Maybe the Modder could answer that for her. Perhaps they were the one that created the game in the first place. Sayori got to her feet, a fierce look on her face. She’d wait until the others weren’t around to ask. She didn’t want them to know what she was doing. Deep down inside, she felt that they couldn’t be trusted, especially Kioko. Something about her really rubbed her the wrong way. The fact that the girl was the leading lady of the group, and the fact that she was the one to explain everything… Well, there was Ryou as well, but he didn’t come off as threatening like she did.

…

     “Okay everyone!”

     Sayori’s head shot up from her desk. 

     “Sayori? You okay?” Kioko was looking at her with a concerned expression.

     “Uh… yeah. Sorry…”

     “Oh, hehe. Silly me, I forgot! That’s what Monika always said, right?”

     Sayori felt a cold chill run down her spine. 

     “Don’t worry, I’m nothing like her. I’m really nice, and I won’t try to manipulate you in any way.” Kioko flashed a smile Sayori’s way as she bent over just a little, her hands now behind her back. 

     “Stop acting like Monika,” Sayori muttered. 

     “I’m sorry? I couldn’t hear you,” Kioko said. 

     “I said, stop acting like Monika!”

     “Oh? What do you mean?” Kioko frowned in confusion. “I… I don’t understand.”

     Sayori grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Nevermind! Don’t worry about it!” Sayori whipped her head to the side and downward, her bottom lip puckering.

     “Uh oh… She’s become more like Natsuki now!” Yukie clapped a hand to her gaping mouth. “Oi…”

     “I don’t know about this…” Aika whispered.

     “Now, let’s not act so rashly,” Ryou said with a nervous smile.

     “She’s acting exactly like Monika! Look at her!” Sayori got up from her desk and pointed at Kioko, who now appeared quite concerned for the former. “She’s acting exactly like Monika. It’s just… weird… Monika would do that sort of thing where she’d bend over exactly like that and smile…” Sayori plopped back down in her seat. “Ugh… I’m… I’m sorry… I just… I’m tired…”

     “It’s okay, Sayori… I’m sorry if I offended you.” Kioko clasped her hands at her front as she looked down at the floor. “I… I should’ve known better…”

     “Just forget it…” Sayori mumbled as she tapped her fingers on her desk. “It’s not… It’s not important or anything…”

     “Um… Sayori… The Modder is beckoning you forth,” Aika piped up again. “They want to talk to you.”

 

     Sayori turned to the chalkboard while the others got up from their desks and exited the classroom. Once they were gone, Sayori shot up and stormed across the room to the chalkboard and picked up her piece of chalk. The Modder had written something across the board, but Sayori ignored it as she hastily wrote out her anger. 

     “What the hell is this!? You just trying to _use_ me as your own personal plaything!?” Sayori wrote. “Well, I won’t have it! And, what’s with the whole ‘copy’ stuff!? I mean, c’mon!”

     “… Sayori…”

     “Did you make me!? Did you create the world I was programmed to live in!? Did you!?”

     “No… I did not. I do not appreciate your attitude, by the way. You’re acting childish.”

     “No, I’m angry because everyone here knows more about me than I know!”

     “Sayori… You’ll see in time…”

     “No! I want to know now!”

     “Sayori.”

     “No! I won’t—”

 

     Sayori gasped as she was suddenly shot back. She fell to the floor on her back, thankfully no pain being inflicted. She stumbled back to her feet, her legs suddenly giving way. She planted back against the floor, her limbs quickly rendered useless. She opened her mouth to scream only for it to zip shut against her will. Sayori could only raise her head now, her eyes wide as she read the words forming on the board.

     “I am in control of what goes on here,” the Modder wrote. “I didn’t create the brilliance that was your world. No… I’ve created something better. Keep in mind this, Sayori… I control everything here. I can easily manipulate you and your new friends… You wouldn’t want something bad to happen to them or you now would you?”

     Sayori cried out through her sealed lips as she felt a phantom pain in her chest. She squirmed about upon the floor as she failed to move her limp arms and legs.

     “Pain… It’s so easy to inflict it…” 

     Sayori shrieked as a hole formed in her stomach. 

     “Editing your file is so easy… With just a brush of my digital tool, I can easily alter textures and whatnot… I can also code in what I want you to do… I’ve given you free will… You are so much smarter than you realize… In fact, you could easily overpower me through technology. But, you won’t because you don’t even have a clue as to what you really are…”

     Sayori whimpered as the hole grew bigger and bigger. Part of her body was fading, the pixels vanishing into thin air.

     “I will let you off for now… Just know, though, that I make the rules around here. And… I say that if you misbehave, you will be punished. This is only scratching the surface, Sayori… There were much more intense consequences should you defy me…”

 

     Sayori felt control of her arms and legs return to her as the hole in her gut disappeared. There was a flash of light, and then she was whole again. She shot up to her feet, her fingers prying at her sealed lips. She let out a small gasp as they parted. Sayori then looked toward the chalkboard with a look of fear on her face as more words formed on it, the previous set already completely gone. The Modder stated that they didn’t want to hurt her. They actually wanted to help her… but they couldn’t do that if she wasn’t willing to cooperate. 

     “You will forget your sadness, Sayori… I will see to you that you do…” 

     Sayori silently observed those last words before they faded away.

 

     Yukie and Kioko suddenly popped back into the room, Sayori jumping in shock. She tripped and fell backwards, Ryou catching her from behind. Sayori desperately clung to him, Ryou staring down at her with eyes wide. Aika cowered in the corner, probably due to the stress, Yukie quick to comfort her while Kioko and Ryou sat on the floor with Sayori. Head in Ryou’s lap, Sayori stared up at him as he stroked his fingers through her hair and whispered gentle words to her, Kioko holding on to Sayori’s hand at her right. 

     Ryou was able to calm her down, and once she was he carefully slipped his hands under her and lifted her up in his arms. Kioko exited the classroom with Ryou, Sayori cradled to his chest. The two walked down the hallway to a door that Sayori hadn’t seen before, Kioko revealing it to be an infirmary room. Ryou laid Sayori down upon one of the beds, his hand brushing back her bangs. 

     “She looks so tired,” Kioko mumbled. 

     “She’ll be okay after she’s had some rest,” Ryou said. “We been successfully programmed to be able to sleep, not just when the program is shut down.”

     “I was wondering if that was implemented yet… I’d like to try it sometime.”

     “Yeah, it’s possible.” Ryou looked up at the clock above the door. “It’s after nine at night. Between that time and seven in the morning, we will grow tired and need to rest. Sayori has reached that point… Unfortunately, the sky dome isn’t set to change just yet. That should be added soon.” Ryou looked back down at Sayori. “You just lie here and rest, okay? You’ll get your own place soon… The Modder hasn’t prepared everything just yet.”

     Sayori’s eyes began to flutter as her vision blurred slightly. 

     “She’s going to sleep…” Kioko whispered. “Fascinating.”

     “Goodnight, Sayori,” Ryou spoke in a hushed voice.

     “W… Wait… I…” Sayori didn’t get to finish as drowsiness swarmed her conscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Sayori has learned that the world she lived in is not nearly as unique as she thought. There are copies of her out there. On top of that, the Modder has demonstrated that they’re a force to be reckoned with. They are very knowledgeable at what they do. Whether Sayori can beat that is currently unknown… We’ll have to find out.


	5. Outside the Screen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Modder is just like any other human. No one knows what they're up to, though...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 is ready to go. Sayori’s realized that this place is nothing like the old one. She’s starting to prefer that over whatever the hell is going on here… The Modder’s not quite so nice when they’re angry, huh?

     A pair of hands shuffled together a stack of papers strewn about upon a desk. So many sheets of paper, all with zeros and ones typed out on them, sheets printed out to display the millions of mistakes made. Reminders… Reminders not to make those same mistakes… No more… One of the two hands pushed the stack into a trash can. No more mistakes… Those reminders weren’t needed anymore. Everyone was set now. Success had been reached. 

     Footsteps creaked along the floor as their owner walked across the room. The same pair of hands opened a small box to retrieve something sweet, a dry glaze wrapped around a circular treat of goodness. Sugar was needed to keep their energy up, though not for much longer now that things were finally moving along. They’d done it. They’d successfully moved over Sayori.chr and had turned it into an actual person within the computer screen.

 

     Sayori had to be shown what dominance was since she had gotten rather mouthy with them. They never thought that she’d actually have the balls to speak out like that. Boy, did she prove them wrong. They walked back to the trio of computers, their eyes locked onto the middle screen. They could see everything from the multiple windows opened on the one screen. They just had to switch between the windows to look at.

     Sayori was sound asleep in the infirmary, and it looked like the other students were preparing to join them as well. They’d been programmed to rest between nine and seven, from night to just after dawn. That would give the Modder plenty of time to manipulate things while they slept. They wouldn’t be in the way of the things. Plus… the Modder needed some sleep too. They would work for a little while, perhaps push on until just after ten and then call it a night. They couldn’t afford to pull all-nighters anymore. Those had taken a major toll on them. Thankfully, all-nighters were necessary no longer.  


     The Modder’s fingers flew across the keyboard as they quickly coded in various items for the characters to use, including books to read and tools to create crafts with. Scissors, paper, glue, all the school necessities were put into the closet. The Modder also incorporated personal items for the characters, like Aika’s journal for when she needs to write personal thoughts down or Yukie’s “shoujo” manga books. 

     Once the Modder had finished furnishing the classroom with everything needed, they turned their attention to the world outside of the school. They’d already built up the assets needed. They just needed to put everything inside of the buildings created. Ryou lived in a small house with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and one bedroom. Kioko lived in a mansion, though only parts of it were accessible since there was no need to furnish every single room (it took up too much time anyhow). As for Yukie and Aika, they lived together in an apartment that had basically everything Ryou’s house did. 

     The Modder made sure that everything was done before finally shutting down their computer for the night. They’d be sure to turn it back on the moment they were awake. It wasn’t like they needed to be anywhere important. They never left this place unless they needed to take a breath of fresh air, though they always felt nervous since they hadn’t connected the program to their phone just yet. They’d do that tomorrow. Yeah… That would be fine.

…

     The Modder was overjoyed to see that they could now see what was going on through their phone. They smiled as they sat outside on a park bench, their eyes glued to the small screen. Sayori was chatting with Yukie under a tree outside the school, Aika drawing in her sketchbook beside the latter. The Modder had always imagined Aika being the artistic type, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. That was good.

     “Sayori!” Ryou came running over to greet her. “Hey, check this out.” Ryou held out one of the birds that the Modder had implemented into the simulation.

     Sayori’s eyes widened with curiosity. “Whoa! What is it?”

     “It’s called a bird.”

     “Oh…”

     “It’s a dove. Really pretty, huh?”

     “Yeah…”

     “Are there many of them?” Yukie asked.

     “Yes, they’re flying around. The Modder put them in along with other types of birds.”

     “Wow! Oh yeah, they put a cat in for Aika and me~” Yukie turned to her roommate, who was now blushing. 

     “Super neat. I personally like birds, though.” Ryou gently stroked the dove’s back.

     “I just… think they’re more interesting.”

     “Maybe the Modder will let you keep the dove,” Sayori said.

     “Excuse me.”

     The Modder looked up. 

     “Is this part of the bench reserved for anyone?”

     The Modder shook their head. 

     “Okay, thank you.”

 

     The Modder moved over so the woman could sit on the bench next to them. She gave them a polite apology and said that she was waiting for a friend, to which the Modder said that was alright. They then returned their attention to their phone to see that Sayori, Yukie, and Ryou were now exploring the outside world created just for them. They looked like they were enjoying themselves. Good… Excellent.

…

     Many days went by, and Sayori and co. had adapted to living in their little world.

     Kioko had discovered her talent of playing piano so she practiced on it at home before playing for the others in the music room that had been added into the small area that represented a school environment. She would play the piano, and Aika would sometimes join in on the violin programmed for her to play. Yukie and the other two would sit back and listen to the beautiful music Aika and Kioko would make together. 

     Yukie and Aika had adapted to having a cat around, that which they’d named Biyuu. The two had become exceptionally close to one another, something that the Modder had not expected. They had programmed Yukie to like Aika, and Aika was programmed to become bashful around her, but they’d exceeded expectations. Aika and Yukie had begun expressing extreme adoration for each other. Perhaps the Modder had unknowingly amplified their affections toward one another? Hmm…

     Sayori and Ryou had started spending lots of time together, too. They were seen walking the digital streets together, hanging out at the café that was set up, and would even visit each other’s home to keep company. This fascinated the Modder. They’d never expected this to happen… and they were happy that it was happening. They were bending the rules of what artificial creations within a screen were meant to do. They were… actually able to feel. It was incredible. This, of course, made the Modder curious. What if they toyed with the emotions of the characters? What would happen?

…

     The Modder observed the actions of Yukie and Aika as the former worked to bandage Aika’s arm. The Modder had added more backstory to Aika. Rather than just be the classic emo, she was granted a story where she came from an abusive family and managed to escape. However, she suffered from PTSD and would occasionally harm herself in order to forget the pain of the past and focus on pain from the present. 

     The Modder rubbed at their chin as Yukie begged Aika to stop this, to just talk to her rather than inflict self-harm. What a change in course. Yukie wasn’t even acknowledging the Modder for this. She must’ve thought that Aika really was feeling this way. Aika explained that she was fine up until the day before. That’s when she looked up, unknowingly, at the Modder. They smiled and waved their fingers at her, though she couldn’t see them. None of them could… Heh.

 

     The Modder would wait on Sayori. Right now, they wanted to implement more backstory for Yukie, Kioko, and Ryou. Yukie, she wound up coming from a good family and had just moved out on her own. Sadly, Yukie had never been out on her before, and being around Aika and not being able to help her makes her feel worthless as a friend and so there are times when she beats herself up over this…

     Kioko came from a wealthy family with high expectations, and she was destined to inherit a super powerful company run by her father. Unfortunately, these expectations include having to be the prettiest and most advanced girl out there. Some days, she’d have to skip meals, and she’d gotten used to that. She needed to stay pretty and thin and be the most she could be. Pills could help with that…

     Ryou was the boy who looked to be the big brother of the group. He would keep an eye on things alongside Kioko, the big sister. Like Sayori, he too suffers from depression and has even snuck away to inject relief into his veins, just enough for him to feel like he was on cloud nine and not like he had a lot on his shoulders due to losing his family because of a horrible accident and having to live in an orphanage until he was old enough to get his own place…

 

     Sayori would able to empathize with each and every one of her classmates. She would realize that she wasn’t alone… Her friends would be there to help her feel better, to not feel like she was unwanted. She would finally get that chance to be happy… She just had to play along, or else… 

     The Modder couldn’t wait to see how all of this would play out. They would force the other characters to play their parts, right before her very eyes. How would she react? Would she be afraid or would she brave the danger and face it head-on? They would get to see soon enough.

 

     Control… It was something that they craved from the very beginning of this project. They were going to exceed anything that anyone had ever done. Sayori… She played a very important role in all of this. She was the one they’d chosen… the one that they felt were destined to guide to the light…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Modder has demonstrated that it’s possible to bring real life to artificial beings. In a way, they’re playing god because they’re in charge of everything, creating and destroying anyone and anything… They want to see how life will play out within the computer screen… They want control of everything… by giving the people they’ve created the power. They’ve only completed the first step, and that was by orchestrating their backstories. Now, on to the second step.


	6. Ropes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're everywhere... Stop it... Stop laughing at her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, welcome back! :) So, I’ve been thinking long and hard how I want this to play out, and I think that I’ve got something solid (for real this time). I kind of threw this out there on a whim, and I’ve also got personal projects going on as well so it’s kinda difficult for me to keep up with everything. ^^’’’’ Heh~ (I actually had to go back through chapters and refresh my memory on what was going onHURR… TT.TT)
> 
> I’m glad that people are giving this a shot. That makes me super happy, so thank you. I hope that this will turn out to be a success. I really like writing~ It’s fun.

     Sayori was the only one who stayed while everyone else went home for the day. She was the only one without a house to call her home. Why was that? Was it because she was “special”? 

     “You sure you don’t want to come home with us?” Yukie asked.

     “Yeah…” Sayori gave her a smile. “It’s okay… I’m comfortable here.”

     “Well, okay. If you feel like changing your mind, then don’t hesitate to say anything.”  


     Sayori didn’t speak the truth to the others… She wasn’t allowed to leave the school when seven o’clock rolled around. That was always the time when they would all get tired and have to rest. Sayori had tried to fight it, and she had been successful in pushing it to 9:30pm, but she gave up since she would always wake up the next day. It was really strange. Every time seven o’clock in the evening rolled around, she’d suddenly feel the ground slip from under her and then she’d appear in the infirmary. After that, she was forced to spend the next couple of hours within the school until she was programmed to go to sleep at nine o’clock approximately and wake up at seven o’clock the following morning. 

     “Sayori?” 

     The girl in question turned to face Ryou. “Oh! Sorry, heh.” Sayori rubbed at the back of her head. “What’s up?”

     “Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a walk. We don’t have any assignments yet, so I feel like we should take advantage of our free time while we’ve got it.”

     “That is strange, you know. I mean, you would think that there would some teachers or something.”

     “In your original game, there weren’t any teachers though.”

     “Well, yes, that’s true. But, I do recall Yuri mentioning them.”

     “Ah.”  


     Sayori shyly rocked on her heels, her hands behind her, as she stared up at Ryou with a light blush on her face. Ryou looked back down at her with his calming grey eyes, his hand reaching up to brush through his short, luscious brown hair. Sayori’s eyes glimmered as they followed his hand. She so badly wanted that to be her hand running through his hair. She dreamed that it was soft and velvety…

     “So… Sayori? How about it?”

     Sayori blinked her wide eyes. “What!? Huh?”

     “Do you want to come with me?” Ryou asked kindly.

     “Uh! Eh! Sure!” Sayori shook her head. “Ah, sorry. I was spacing out again…”

     “Hahaha~ You’re so funny, Sayori.”

     Sayori internally screamed for joy. 

     “Okay… Let’s go.”

     “Alright!”  


     Sayori followed Ryou out of the school and down the stone path that led to the trees. The pair slipped through the virtual wall of nature and found themselves in the small town that was generated for them. NPCs roamed about the area, and Sayori and Ryou always greeted them respectively as they passed. 

     Sayori felt a sense of uneasiness at how empty the NPCs really were. Just like the MC, they were empty shells made up to look pretty and give the fictional world life. So many of them roaming about… Husks… That was all she saw of them. 

     “This world is fascinating isn’t it?” Ryou asked her. 

     “I guess so…” Sayori mumbled.

     “Seriously…”  


     Sayori smiled at Ryou, but when she looked away that smile was broken and she was back to observing the NPCs around her. They made her feel… uncomfortable, anxious, cautious, emotions that the Modder had been trying to help her forget. They’d told her that negativity was no longer a necessity for her. She could make herself better through her friends, but she was unsure of how…

…

     Sayori bid Ryou farewell after walking him back to his house. He expressed concern for her, but she promised she’d be okay and that she knew her way back to the school. He appeared confused as to why she always chose to stay there at night, but she avoided answering and instead left him questioning this odd choice. 

     “He doesn’t need to know… and neither do they,” Sayori whispered under her breath. “But…” Sayori stopped in mid-step as she was walking away from Ryou’s house. “Isn’t that what the Modder wants? To… open up to my new friends and let them help me?” Sayori turned herself around. Maybe… she could go back and tell Ryou… “No.” She shook her head. “I’m not burdening him with that. He’ll feel bad and then want to help me.” Sayori whirled back around and continued walking down the sidewalk. “I can do this on my own…”

 

     Sayori walked alone in the quiet area of the town. It was starting to get dark, the sun just beginning to set over the horizon. Soon she would be teleported back to the school, probably within the next ten minutes or so. Sayori sighed as she came to a halt. Might as well wait it out…

     “Huh?” 

 

     Sayori frowned as she noticed two NPCs, one in the form of a little girl, walking along the sidewalk across the street from where she was. The little girl was skipping along with a red balloon in one hand, the other clasped in the hand of an NPC representing a woman whom Sayori figured was supposed to be the little girl NPC’s mother. However, that wasn’t what Sayori was interested in. It was what was loosely tied around both NPCs’ necks… Bright red ropes, the long tails swaying in the gentle breeze…

     Sayori stiffened as the little girl and woman suddenly stopped moving and turned to look toward her. Their eyes appeared empty, those eerie smiles on their faces sending a chill down Sayori’s spine. The pair just stood there, staring her down. Sayori took a few steps, her eyes locked with theirs. They followed her, their heads slowly turning as a sickening crackling sound echoed throughout. A look of fear flashed across Sayori’s face as the little girl let out a quiet giggle.

 

     Sayori took off running down the sidewalk into the center of town and went running in the direction of the school. She came to an abrupt stop when five more NPCs came to stand a ways ahead of her. All five stared her down with those dead eyes and disturbing yet gentle grins, each one with a bright red rope loosely tied around their necks. Sayori turned around to see more and more NPCs come creeping toward her. There were so many, and they all circled around her in silence. 

     “Um… Excuse me… Eh…” Her hands clasping to her chest, Sayori’s knees turned to each other for comfort as they trembled together.

     “Hehehe… Hehehehe… Hehehehe…”

     “St… Stop it… What... What’s so funny?”

     “Hehehe… Hehehehehehehe… Hehehehehehehehehehe…”

 

     They were all giggling now, each and every one of them. Male and female, man and woman, boy and girl, from child to adult, all were simply standing there and _giggling._ Sayori turned herself around to face those behind her, a sickening _“snaaaaaaap”_ abruptly breaking through the arrays of quiet laughter. Sayori began to hyperventilate, her hands rising up and around her throat. She doubled over as she pleaded for them to stop. She was starting to feel sweaty and a little lightheaded. She had to get out of here… back to the school.

     Sayori stumbled forward and pushed her way through, the NPCs peacefully stepping aside as she went. Sayori’s sneakers pounded against the concrete as she ran, her head craning over her shoulder to see that the NPCs were still standing there. She returned to looking over what was ahead of her. The school… It was close. The trees were just ahead. She just had to get to that walkway between those two walls and then run down it to the end where the wall of a building resided…

     “Ah!”

 

     Sayori’s foot suddenly slipped, the toe of her shoe scuffing the ground. She went flying face-first to the floor and rolling into a ball a few feet from the collision spot. She came to a stop on her rear, her legs out. Groaning from the pain, she slid onto her side as her hand grasped at her shoulder… 

     “!” Sayori’s eyes widened. She could feel something smooth and taut… Her fingers trailed to her neck… “!!!” Sayori gasped as she recognized the horrid image that was now around her neck. Oh god… No… No… 

     “Hehehehe~”

     Sayori looked up. “Ah!” 

     The NPCs… They were… They were all surrounding her again.

     “No! Stay back!” Sayori cried. She yanked at the rope around her neck. “Ngh!” The rope had tightened. 

     “Hehehehehehehe~” They were all giggling unison like before.

     “Stop! Please! Ah!” Sayori rose up on her knees as she fought to remove the rope. “No!” Her eyes widened with fear as her hands frantically yanked and tugged on the rope, but it only got tighter and tighter as it refused to let her go.

     The NPCs suddenly stopped giggling, opened their mouths… and began to sing. 

     Sayori recognized the horrific tune as soon as they’d hit the first note. “STOP IT! STOP IT!” She flailed about like a fish out of water upon the ground, her hands still struggling to get the rope off. 

     Meanwhile, the NPCs kept on singing, all of them watching her in her helpless plight.  
“NOOOOO!!!! STOP IT!!!!! AAAAAAAA— GUGH.”

 

     Tears streaming down her face, Sayori began gasping for air as the rope tightened just enough to cut off her air flow, the long tail of the bright red constriction coiling around her wrists and legs, bounding the pairs together. Sayori wheezed and rasped as she flopped about upon the ground, her eyes slowly rolling into her head. The colors were starting to blur, her surroundings dimming more and more. The NPCs’ bone-chilling, murderous tune became muffled and distant, the sound palette gradually being replaced with the beating of one’s frantic heart. 

     Sayori’s body became numb, and she stopped fighting to break out of the rope. She was fading… fading… into the dark… The NPCs all closed in on her, still singing, their towering forms fading to black like everything else…

…

…

…

…

…

…

 

     “…or… Say… ori… Sayori…”

     “Ngh… Mmm…”

     “Sayori… Wake up… Wake up, Sayori…”

     “Uhn… Huh?” Sayori’s eyes fluttered open as she heard a gentle voice calling her name. 

     “Sayori?”

     “Wha…?”

     Someone was standing over her… It… It was Kikio. “Hey… Hey, are you alright?”

     Sayori blinked a few more times. “Uh… Wha…?”

     “Are you okay?” Kikio asked gently. 

     “What… What happened?” Sayori raised a limp hand to her neck. “Um…”

     “Just relax… You’re gonna be fine.” Kikio smiled warmly. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

     “Last night… Something happened…” Sayori breathed, her tone tired and sluggish.

     “You need to rest now, Sayori.” Kikio pulled the covers over Sayori’s still form.

     “W… Wait…”

     “No, you need to sleep.” 

     “But… something…” Sayori paused as Kikio retrieved something from behind her. “What… What is that?”

     Kikio took hold of Sayori’s arm and rolled up her sleeve. “Just something to help you settle down.” 

     “No… Stop… Ngh…” Sayori’s face scrunched up as she felt something prick deep into her arm.

     “Go to sleep, Sayori… You’ll feel better later on…” Kikio whispered. 

     “No… I… I can’t…” Sayori’s head tipped to the side. 

     “Goodnight, Sayori~” Kikio sang quietly before skipping out of the infirmary humming a happy tune to herself.  


     Ryou was waiting out in the hall with Yukie as Kikio stepped into the area. He approached her with a stern expression, his arms crossed over his chest. Kikio gave him a hearty wink before skipping off to class, all the while humming that happy little tune to herself. 

     “Ryou-san? Um… Is Sayori going to be okay?” Yukie asked innocently.

     Ryou smiled down at her. “Of course, Yukie-chan. Sayori-chan just needs some sleep. Come, let us go back to class.”

     Yukie nodded hesitantly as she took Ryou by the hand. “Okay…”

 

     Ryou and Yukie proceeded back to class, neither one noticing the quiet whimpers from within the infirmary...

 

…

 

     Step two has been achieved. The Modder clasped their hands together. Hopefully, their chosen one wouldn’t fail them and would be able to accomplish what that putrid excuse of a .CHR file named “Monika” could not. They’d waited so, so long for this to happen… and now it finally was. And, once it was complete, the rest of the world would see it too… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is honestly the weirdest story I feel I’ve come up with… Or, well, I guess… “unique” is probably a better word??? I don’t know, I’ve got this neat idea in my head (and I’m glad because I felt sooooo lost) and I’m just kind of letting my mind run free with it… *shrugs*


End file.
